This & That #2

I know, I know – some of you are from places way north of Texas where snow can become a nuisance because you have so much of it all winter long. But Y’ALL – this is Texas! And it snowed and stuck to the ground and we got to make snowmen and have snowball fights and it’s almost Christmas…..It was a party here for a day!

Seriously, we were up at the crack of dawn watching it come down.

Tony got Parker up at 5 a.m. and showed him how to make a snowman. Tony is a native of Milwaukee and has seen PLENTY of snow in his lifetime. I was surprised at how excited HE was! Parker told me last night that is he praying for it to snow on Christmas. Now that would be something….

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Most fun of the week

The Annual Favorite Things Christmas Luncheon that my girlfriends and I do every year. We take turns hosting in our homes and all bring a dish to share. My Melange of Fruits gets requested every year.

If I was a good blogger, I would have taken LOTS of pictures to share with you. But I got so involved in the conversation, food, presents and maybe a little wine that I forgot to take EVEN ONE! So I’ll just have to tell you how our group does it:

We each choose our “favorite thing” for that year ($30 limit) and buy three of them.

We wrap our 3 gifts and take them to the party.

At the party, we write our names on 3 pieces of paper and put them in a bowl.

Then each person draws 3 names.

You get one of the gifts that each of your 3 people brought.

We go around the room and take turns telling each other why the gift we chose is our favorite that year!

All the gifts were lovely, fun and so appreciated by the recipients. But there are two that I wanted to share with you.

One of the “girlfriends” is 92-year-old British woman named Myrtle. I received her gift which was a box of her favorite biscuits (cookies) and a $30 gift card to Trader Joe’s. Don’t think I won’t be using THAT this holiday season!

I also received Look by M Shawl Vest. This vest can be worn 4 different ways – as a vest, shawl, poncho or wrap. It comes in lots of colors and all the ladies at the party SWEAR by it and say everybody needs one!

Favorite Christmas Item

I picked up this plush Nativity Set on a whim at Hobby Lobby a couple of weeks ago. I thought it would be fun for the two younger grandkids to play with and a way to start introducing them to the story of Jesus’ birth. Isn’t it cute when I have it all set up? Unfortunately, it never looks this way. It looks more like this:

Date night with Tony at our favorite neighborhood restaurant. We like the food so much, I decided to order their Prime Rib for our Christmas Dinner. This is the first time I have been able to shake my mom’s tradition of making everything yourself. But I know if being able to order really good food from a restaurant was an option in her day, she would have been the first to do so! She was all about enjoying her guests and that’s what I intend to do this year. With 3 grandkids, there will be lots of toys to put together and play with.

Favorite Visitor

Santa, aka as 10-month-old Jeffrey….Can you stand all that cuteness????

Saddest Moment

We lost a dear friend to cancer this week. It was a long and painful battle. We rejoice that because he is a follower of Jesus we can be assured that he is now in Heaven enjoying a perfect body that is not diseased or causing him pain. But we deal with the reality of a big hole in the lives of us and all he left behind.

Do you ever get stuck on what to do for friends who have lost someone? I used to get paralyzed by not wanting to say or do “the wrong thing”. However, when I lost my parents in 2015, I learned that there isn’t much someone can do or say to make it worse. And that any gesture, no matter how small can bring comfort and blessing into a very dark time. So I wrote this post: 19 Practical Ways To Help When Someone You Know Dies.

It’s so fun to hear all about your week!!
And you are a great blogger….it’s sometimes way more important to be in the moment, don’t you think? But I get what you are saying—it’s also fun to have a photo as a memory!!
XOXO
Jodiehttp://www.jtouchofstyle.com

That is a lot of cuteness and I bet the nativity scene could end up being played with by him! I am sorry for your loss. Hard all times of year but especially a hole in the Holiday season. I love your melange!

Your party sounds like so much fun, and I think it’s lovely that you were having such a good time that you didn’t worry about photos. I’ve done that before and I’m always a little sad I have nothing to share, but also pleased to realize I was totally in the moment. Of course, Jeffery is a doll! And I laughed at your statement, “We look better with a filter.” It got me thinking, I’m going to ask Santa for a filter I can use in person, so I always look my best!

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About Me

Cathy Lawdanski

My name is Cathy. I am a 50-something wife, mother and grandmother who is embracing new challenges and adventures that come from being on "this side" of 50. Join me on the journey!

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